My motorcycle clutch (Yamaha Diversion) has recently started dragging extremely badly; I need to rev-match up and down gears and shifting from neutral into first requires me to rev the engine, pull the clutch, then shift in.

It's also making a squeaking/grinding noise when engaging the clutch, which typically goes away when the clutch is fully closed. The release/thrust bearing looks quite worn, so I'm going to replace that, but is there any other components which would cause the dragging and if not, how does a worn thrust bearing cause clutch drag?

If the throwout/slave cylinder is worn or not operating correctly then the clutch will not fully disengage causing the clutch to drag and making it difficult to change gears without grinding.
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Mike SaullApr 1 '13 at 15:31

@MikeSaull - fair enough, thanks. I just didn't see how it caused it originally after a quick look, but I really need to research better on how they work. Cheers :)
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slugonamissionApr 2 '13 at 15:54